Question

The nurse noted on the progress note of a 17-year-old client scheduled for surgery that the surgeon has explained the procedure, including benefits and adverse effects. However, the consent was signed by the surgeon and not the client. What should the nurse do? Ask the parents to sign the consent. Ask the client to sign the consent. No consent is required because the client is still a minor. Ask the manager to sign the consent.

Answer 1

The nurse should ask the parents or legal guardians to sign the informed consent form for a 17-year-old client since minors are typically not legally competent to provide consent for themselves.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a 17-year-old client is scheduled for surgery and the consent form has not been signed by the client or a parent/guardian, the nurse should be aware of the legal requirements regarding informed consent, particularly for minors. Though the surgeon has explained the procedure, including benefits and adverse effects, consent must be legally obtained. Since the client is a minor, they may not be competent to provide consent for themselves. Instead, a parent or legal guardian should ideally provide consent on behalf of the child. The nurse's responsibility is to ensure that the informed consent process is completed properly before the procedure.

Therefore, the nurse should ask the parents or legal guardians to sign the consent form. It is important that before the induction of anesthesia, the team confirms the patient's identity, the surgical site and procedure, and that consent has been properly obtained and documented. Additionally, the patient's right to privacy, especially in the case of minors, also needs to be respected under institutional policies and legal requirements.